Grass Valley man to face charges in fatal wreck, authorities say

Albert J. Silva, whose 2-year-old son died late Monday in a Highway 20 wreck, remained Tuesday in a hospital for treatment, the California Highway Patrol said.

Silva, 38, of Grass Valley, will face at least a felony DUI charge. The highway patrol is talking with the Nevada County District Attorney's Office to determine any additional charges Silva may face, CHP Officer Mike Steele said.

Silva's son — Quincy Silva — is scheduled this morning for an autopsy. Authorities have not yet determined a cause and manner of death, Deputy Coroner Mike Sullivan said.

Quincy's death stemmed from a 9 p.m. Monday wreck on Highway 20, near Harmony Ridge Road, a release states.

Silva's son wasn't in an appropriate child safety seat as Silva, driving a 2007 Ford Focus west on the highway, allowed his vehicle to travel off the road and into a right-side gravel shoulder. Silva lost control when he tried to correct, and the vehicle overturned several times, the release states.

Alcohol intoxication is a factor in the wreck, the highway patrol said.

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"The passenger was ejected from the Ford as a result of the collision," the highway patrol states. "Silva sustained major injuries and was transported to a medical center for treatment of his injuries. The passenger was pronounced deceased at Sierra Nevada Memorial shortly after the collision."

Pamela Swartz, talking at a Nevada County Board of Supervisors hearing Tuesday about a proposed cell tower on her property, said she saw Quincy in the moments after the wreck.

"It took three times to get my cell phone to work to call 911," Swartz said. "I called once, the cell phone dropped. I called again, it dropped.

"What you see, you can't erase," she said moments later.

Authorities said they diverted traffic to Willow Valley Road during its investigation of the wreck, reopening it at 11:05 p.m. Monday.